Eight Fourteen
by urban flower
Summary: Yet another bounty to catch, a want for woolongs, and perhaps an unmentioned love.
1. Another Escapade

(A/N I'm not sure if they had TV or not or what to call it besides a TV.)  
  
  
  
"Howdy, y'all!" The TV was blaring on, the sound covering every corner in the Bebop. Ed chanted   
"One and two and three and... 814??"  
  
Spike lay dow on the old yellow couch, staring at the ceiling fan. His cigarette was limp, and hung out of his mouth.  
He sighed, occaisonally glancing at the TV, other times closing his eyes.   
Ed crawled up behind the couch and jumped up, surprising Spike.   
"Wha-? Ed, what the hell is it?" He ask, rubbing his head.  
"Ed see something weeeeiiiirrrrddddd" Ed flapped her arms and circled the room. Ein lifted his head, and went back to his nap.  
Spike sighed... "...I hate kids..."  
  
"Our mega bounty of today is worth 2 million Woolong!" sang Judy.   
"That's right, he's a serial killer on the loose! He's gotten away 6 times from the ISSP." Punch added in.  
  
The mere pitch of "2 million woolong" stopped Faye in her path. She hurried over to the TV, hoping no one else heard  
the bounty announcement.  
She was in luck, Spike was in his daze, and Faye got the name of the bounty.   
  
Jet walked over to where she was. He was ready to call them in for dinner. He saw Faye scribbling down notes.   
"Well, what have we here?" He grabbed the paper quickly.  
"None of your business," Faye retorted. She snatched the paper out of his hand.  
"Well dinner is ready, and there's a price for all freeloaders to pay, sooner or later..." Jet started.  
"I'd raher starve than eat your cooking," Faye snapped back. She stuffed the paper in her chest.   
"Well I'm out," she said.   
"Where are you going?" asked Jet, puzzled.  
She only smiled and replied, "Don't find out."  
  
Faye flew off into space. She was headed for one of Jupiter's many moons, Io.   
She landed on an abandonned parkingway. She stepped out, feeling an excruciatingly hot wave of air surround her. She  
frowned, and set off. She walked through the small town. It wasn't neat... the setting reminded her of Ganymede--only  
much hotter, and no water in sight. Thirsty, she stepped into the neares restauraunt she could find.   
  
It was small... and cheap-looking. It fit perfectly with the whole town. Paint chipped, rusty tables...   
Faye didn't care if the place was made of pure gold or rotten wood; she needed something to quench her thirst  
(though pure gold would have been nice).  
"Do you have anything to drink?" She panted.  
The man, his face covered by the shade of his hat, pointed to what looked like a drinking fountain.  
"You expect me drink THAT?" Faye asked in disbelief."Don't you have any fruit, anything that won't poison me?"  
The man barely shook his head. He turned around back to his store, where he was hidden in the shadows. Faye shrugged,  
and giving up, she went to the fountain. The water was rusty at first, but cleared up fter a while.  
"How can they pass this off as water?" Faye thought aloud.  
"I know what you mean..." a woman passing by mentioned. "You must be new here. The water here is the run off from  
Ganymede. I advise you don't drink it, unless you want to spend your days in a bathroom."  
"Th-thank you..." Faye sputtered.  
"Here." The woman tossed her a tangerine, and left without a trace.  
  
  
After the woman left, Faye ate it hungrily. Satisfied, she walked back to her ship,  
looking for her next bounty: Ciere. He had no last name, and nobody was sure if Ciere was even his real name.  
Faye was ready. Anything for 3 million, and not having to split it 3 ways.  
  
Back in the Bebop, Jet and Spike, or rather Jet more than Spike, pondered where Faye was.   
"What? Is this the 4th time she's bailed on us?' exclaimed Jet.  
"Seems like it," replied Spike. He was calm and collected, and right now he only wanted to sleep.  
"Spike, this is important! can't you be serious for once?" Jet was exasperated with his comarade.  
"Jet, that woman is out of here, I want to enjoy it while it lasts." Spike replied again, this time perturbed by Jet's   
persistance.  
"Nothing will last," Jet said smartly, "she took our woolong with her. Half of both our shares."  
Spike grimaced, "Let's go..."  
  
The two climbed into their ships hastily.  
"Do you know where she went?" asked Spike.  
"No, but she's probably after that Ciere guy. Two million."  
"How do you know?"  
"You learn lots of things from pieces of paper that women hold."  
  
  
Well. It's pretty short, I'm sorry. I tried my best to make this in character as fan-fictionally possible. :)  
I'm going try to update every weekend or so, depending on writer's block status and laziness meter. 


	2. A Cup of Talk

Spike blasted off in his usual sleek fashion. Something was different, though.  
  
He felt tense, and for no particularly reason. Was it the money... or was it  
  
Something else? He ignored his conscience and furthered to reach Io.   
  
Meanwhile, Faye strolled down the decaying neighborhood. Beaten down   
  
by the sun, she soon tired, but she had to find something on Ciere.   
  
Tired and excruciatingly uncomfortable, Faye finally decided it  
  
was time for a rest. She leaned against a brick wall, then sliding down to the ground.   
  
Across the street, she saw a dark haired man wink at her and flash a smile. She  
  
glared at him, and looked to her right.   
  
Her ears suddenly perked at the sound of booted feet nearing her. She checked in the  
  
direction of the sound, and saw two leather boots. She looked up, the silhouette of the same  
  
man looking down at her. He offered his hand, but she stood without any help. He laughed  
  
lightly at her pride.   
  
"I'm Arlo," he introduced. Arlo had dark eyes that matched his hair, and healthy, tanned skin.  
  
By his accent, Faye could tell her was from Europe. Europe... she had been there once...   
  
about 54 years ago.  
  
"Faye." she replied curtly. Couldn't he see she was busy? He laughed again. His  
  
chuckles annoyed her. Laughing at Faye was Spike's job.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked with curiosity.  
  
"I'm..." she started, not knowing what to say next. "I'm  
  
part of a ship's crew," she explained. She didn't lie, but she didn't exactly  
  
tell the truth either.  
  
"Oh. What ship?" Arlo asked, genuinely interested.  
  
"The Be...... the Bebop," she stammered. Her usual biting sarcasm wasn't with her.  
  
Was it the authentic aura this man had?  
  
"You look tired. Care for some tea?" he asked.   
  
Faye mentally snorted. Tea? Men drank tea now?  
  
"I was thinking of something else..." she said.  
  
"If you're looking for anything flavoured," Arlo emphasized "flavoured", as if he suspected  
  
Faye had a rather sinister thirst, "there's polluted water that you're free to drink to.   
  
We can only drink hot beverages in Io."  
  
"How do these people live?" she wondered, in an air of stupor which was broken by Arlo.  
  
"Come," he beckoned. She slowly followed him, tea was a drink, and she was already parched.  
  
"What are you really?" asked Arlo, pulling at his tea bag.   
  
"Huh?" Faye's spoon clanged onto the table.  
  
"You said you were a crew member on the ship. I don't believe you."  
  
Faye gulped. Confrontation.  
  
"I'm... a bounty huntress." She confessed, hanging her head.  
  
"I suspected that of you," Arlo replied.   
  
Faye looked up, giving him a reproachful glare.  
  
The two halted their conversation, their quaint tea party silent and  
  
strange.  
  
"D-do you happen to know anyone named Ciere?" Faye suddenly asked.  
  
"Ciere? Sounds like the tycoon."  
  
"What business?"  
  
"That question obviously came from a foreigner." Arlo smirked. "The only reason Io  
  
is even populated is because of its convenience. Cheap rides to anyplace, they allow for great  
  
trades to take place. Trades are unmonitored. You might say Io is the middleman. Or planet.  
  
Ciere is the owner of XTRADE, a popular trading depot."  
  
"Are you sure?" Faye asked. Certainly, a tycoon could not be a master serial killer.  
  
"Of course. Ciere is a lovely person."  
  
With the last words, Arlo left, slapping enough woolongs to pay for the two cups of tea.  
  
Faye was left clueless.  
  
Spike spotted the ultra-violet moon. He prepared for landing, finding an empty parking lot.   
  
He made his way into the nearest café, slumping down in a booth. Behind him were two shady   
  
characters storming up an attention grabbing chat. 


End file.
